Increased visibility of champagne, chocolates and flowers in the multiples means only one thing - Valentine’s Day, one of the sales peaks for these items, is here again.

And it may be my imagination, but soft fruit seems to have caught onto the idea, as indicated by these heart-shaped pre-packs from Spain, on display at Aldi and priced at £1.79 for 341g.

They also represent part of a drive at the chain emphasising the significance of fresh produce - this week, there have been full-page ads in the national press highlighting the “sensational” prices of its Super 6.

For any category managers out there who missed the message, in the range currently all at 59p are: three mixed peppers; a 2.5kg of baking potatoes; a pineapple; a six-pack of green apples; 450g of large vine tomatoes; and 500g of white grapes. The blurb promises more offers throughout 2008.

So far, the cuts have not reached the banana sector, and the fruit at the discounter is priced at 77p a kilo. Interestingly, it is from Ghana - a source that does not seem to crop up that often for bananas.

Sticking with fruit, Topaz is tipped by many to be one of the up-and-coming apple varieties, and is now appearing in Tesco’s organic range, at £1.99 for a pack of four. Although Tesco’s fruit is sourced from Belgium, I noticed last year that English growers are also getting interested. But strangely, no-one seems to worry that the name is the same as an established variety of soft citrus.

Years ago, time would be running out for the date season until next Christmas, but now dates enjoy year-round shelf space. The offer is getting wider all the time. Tesco seems to have borrowed some of its descriptive text from the tomato industry, for in its wholefood range there are dates “on the vine”, at £1.89 for 250g. And for the real enthusiast, there are 1kg packs of “natural” fruit at £2.99, branded Jordan River and produced by the Israeli group Hadiklaim.

New descriptions keep cropping up all the time, and the latest I have come across is on a Limited Edition prepared fragrant basil salad from Sainsbury’s, at £1.79 for 85g. The contents feature a mix of baby leaves, including pak choi and mizuna, plus purple and Thai “micro” basils - so size is obviously not considered the only criteria.

Staying with the more exotic vegetable trade, major winter asparagus supplier Peru seems to be testing out retail reaction to purple varieties, which usually appear from time to time in the summer at Marks & Spencer. Priced at £2.99 for 200g, if they really take off there will be no shortage of supply - I am reliably informed it is possible to harvest three crops a year in the Andean nation.

Something that looks more mundane in its natural state is the sweet potato, which must come close to celeriac as being one of the least attractive root crops. But it is amazing what a makeover can do. M&S has a new ready-prepared pack from Israel, at £1.79 for 240g. While it looks bright and cheerful, one customer at the till had mistaken it for a pack of carrots! As ever, the rule is always read the label.

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